Day Trips From London
You're in London. You've done Buckingham Palace, visited a plethora of cathedrals,
galleries and museums, and explored every other obligatory iconic sight. You're
grown tired of the crowded restaurants, exhausted from the shopping, and are
just about done with Londoners looking you up and down because your attire
screams "tourist." It's time for you to get away. Whether for a day or the
weekend, there are a multitude of quaint towns under three hours from
London that are surrounded by lush countryside and brimming with
historic cathedrals and ancient stone structures. Here are my favourites:
Birmingham - A charming city that is partially pedestrianized, with most
things to see and do accessible on foot, Birmingham boasts many events, pubs,
clubs and shopping opportunities. It also has a large canal network that makes
excellent pedestrian routes in their own right. Trains can take as little as 85 min
from Euston or Marylebone or a coach from Victoria takes three hours. www.
visitbirmingham.com
Bournemouth - Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of
Dorset, on the edge of the New Forest. Only a short train ride from London's Waterloo station,
it offers some of the best night life outside of London in the UK due to its thriving youth
culture, including a large university population and language school students. Bournemouth
also has a well-established gay scene comprising a cluster of bars, restaurants, the Bondi (the
South's only exclusively GLBT, or gay- lesbian-bisexual-transgendered hotel) and nightclubs,
which are all centred around the Triangle in the centre of the town. www.bournemouth.co.uk
Brighton - Fashionistas, prick up your ears. With Brighton being a fashionable beach town,
shopping is one of its main attractions. However, don't get stuck in the mainstream shopping
area around Western Road. Explore the side lanes and discover some fabulous independent
clothing boutiques and true shopping gems. Brighton is also especially good for music and
books. It is located just 90 km (55 miles) south, less than an hour by train from Victoria
Station. www.visitbrighton.com
Canterbury - A university city in Kent in the south east of England, Canterbury is best
known as the home of the foremost cathedral in England, Canterbury Cathedral. Constructed
during the 12th-15th centuries, it is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The town centre
of Canterbury is quite compact, taking only 10 min to walk down the semi-pedestrianized
high street. You can take a historic river boat tour along the Stour or explore its many shops.
Canterbury is also a popular destination at Christmas time, where the festive lights and
medieval streets provide a great ambience for shopping and dining. And if you're wondering
why you can hear a proliferation of French in Canterbury, it's because of its proximity to Dover
and the ferries to France. www.canterbury.co.uk
City of Bath - A historic Roman and Georgian spa city and World Heritage site, Bath is
situated 100 miles west of London and 15 miles (25 km) south-east of the nearest big city,
Bristol. Bath is particularly famous for its hot springs, Roman period baths, medieval heritage
and stately Georgian architecture. While ancient lore states that the spring waters cure a
gamut of ailments, from gout to infertility, drinking its sulphuric waters could result in your
developing a kidney stone. You might feel more inclined to just soak in it. At any rate, it's an
easy day trip from Paddington Station. visitbath.co.uk
Cotswolds - The Cotswolds are an easy 1-2 hours away by car from London, making it an
ideal destination for a one night's stay at a charming B&B. Comprised of a range of hills in southwestern and west-central England, the area is known for gentle hillsides, outstanding countryside
with river valleys, water meadows and beech woods. Its sleepy ancient limestone villages and
historic market towns make it a popular destination with both the English themselves and
international visitors. www.the-cotswolds.org
